Gitxsan Unity stands firm

The Gitxsan Unity Movement began as Gitxsan Against Enbridge in early December 2011.

The goal of the movement is to bring harmony between the Gitxsan government and the values, law and will of the Gitxsan people.

The Gitxsan Chiefs shut down the Gitxsan Treaty Office on December 5, 2011 because the office was acting contrary to Gitxsan law and values through their unilateral agreement with Enbridge.

The Gitxsan Unity Movement stands firm on backing the Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs, who have requested the Gitxsan Unity Movement secure and keep a 24 hour, seven-day week watch over the GTO building.

A December 2011 Declaration signed by 91 Hereditary Chiefs states they do not acknowledge the Gitxsan Treaty Society as representation of the Gitxsan people.

Copies of the declaration are available at the gitxsanunity.com web site.

The Gitxsan Unity Movement is 100 per cent volunteer-driven, with Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs and members working in the best interests of our land, culture, and people.

We are very disappointed in Judge McEwan’s decision to call the Chiefs who had helped build the foundations of GTS, wrong for shutting down the office.

The Gitxsan Treaty Society, who is supposed to be representing us, failed to consult with us, and we have many questions yet to be answered:

Why did they tell media all is well within our Nation, when clearly it is not? And why did we only find out about Alternative Governance and the Enbridge agreement signed by Elmer Derrick through the media?

Why is it the GTS uses the courts to settle issues with the Gitxsan people?

Why is Gitxsan Forest Enterprises Inc. bankrupt? What happened to the $13.5 million the Gitxsan were supposed to receive in lieu of this agreement?

Who gave Derrick the right to sign the Enbridge deal on our behalf?

What other deals are being negotiated behind our backs?

It appears that the GTS is an agent for the government.

They act as if they have no one to answer to and do as they please. The Enbridge fiasco is a great example.

At first they claimed Derrick signed for the GTS, then they said he signed on behalf of the Chiefs. Finally, they said Derrick acted on his own.

We the Gitxsan people are standing up for the truth! We strive for accountability, transparency and the return of authority to its rightful place—the Gitxsan Simgiigyet and the Gitxsan Nation.

The majority Gitxsan want to keep the GTS office closed, as per the Spookw litigation team vote. We strongly feel an accountant should audit the office and society minutes.

More and more, we see changes in the Canadian and provincial governments. They have become aggressive in their need for our resources, and it appears they are turning our people against one another. Today is a good day to stand up to government corruption. Through Unity we will prevail!

We request that the Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs explore our options should we walk away from the treaty table.

The Coastal First Nation walked away from the treaty table 12 years ago and explored business opportunities with government and corporations. Since then they have generated $500 million, which went back into their communities through environmentally studied, safe projects.

The Gitxsan Unity Movement has always believed answers to the Gitxsan crises has always been within the true Gimlitxwit, the head Chiefs of the three major clans within our Nation, Gisgaast (Fireweed), Lax Gibuu (Wolf) and Lax See’l (Frog).m and not the Gitxsan Treaty Society’s private and specialized Gimlitxwit, which is a gross misrepresentation of our High Chiefs.

Today we encourage a meeting of the Gitxsan Head Chiefs favouring the GTS , the Spookw litigants and/or the Gitxsan Unity Movement.

We are confident a cooperative and unified position will be reached to conclude the impasse we currently find our Nation facing regarding the closure of the GTS offices.